


here

by literatiruinedme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Conversations, Established Relationship, F/M, Light Angst, Tea, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 04:39:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17379725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literatiruinedme/pseuds/literatiruinedme
Summary: She always came back to him.





	here

“Hi.”

Jughead blinked, unsure if he could trust what he was seeing.

Betty couldn't be standing on what used to be _their_ welcome mat, not when she ran off to San Francisco to live with her sister after her father's death three months prior.

But she was back.

Why was she back?

He slammed the door shut, unsure what to do. “Fuck,” he growled to himself, before ripping the door open again. He swallowed, meeting her gaze again. _Speak you idiot!_ His mouth opened, but he didn't know what to say.

She stayed quiet, letting him sort through his thoughts.

“You’re here,” he finally blurted out.

She swallowed nervously, nodding her head. “Yeah.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. He felt like he couldn't breathe. “Betty, you're _here_.”

“I'm here,” she said, attempting a smile. She sighed when she realised she wouldn't be able to lighten the mood so easily. “I'm so sorry, Jughead.”

He walked away from the door towards the kitchen, leaving the door open behind him; inviting her in without having to force the words out. He opened the cabinet, pulling out their usual mugs. He took a steadying breath, setting them down on the counter before turning away from her. “Do you want some tea?”

“That would be nice.”

He heard one of the stools being pulled back from the island as she sat down. “Dandelion or lavender?”

“You got more dandelion tea?”

He caught her smiling softly at the counter when he glanced back at her.

“There wasn't any when I-” Her face fell when she suddenly realised what she was about to say.

He cleared his throat, looking down at the electric tea kettle he was filling with water. He set the kettle on the heating unit and powered it on before turning to face her, leaning back against the counter and crossing his legs at the ankle.

Betty sighed, settling in for the difficult conversation they were about to have. “Juggie-”

“Don't-” He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut. “Call me that.”

She frowned, meeting his gaze when he looked at her again. “I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, well, you should be.”

“Jug-”

“We were together for nine years, Betty.”

She pursed her lips, nodding slowly. “I know,” she said softly.

“Nine years and you couldn't even bother to call or leave a note saying goodbye? You just cleared out a few drawers and ran off.”

“I was wrong,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

Jughead shook his head. He looked up at the kettle as it began to boil. “You're sorry,” he scoffed. He poured water into their mugs, slamming the kettle down when he was done. He put his hands down on the counter, forcing himself to focus in on the cold granite below his fingertips instead of his anger.  “Betty, you can't just waltz in-”

“I'm not trying to make myself at home,” she explained. “I just needed to talk to you- to apologize.” She fidgeted with the label on her teabag, a nervous habit she'd picked up after he started shoving a mug of tea in her hands anytime she was getting too lost in her own head. “I'm staying with Cheryl and Toni,” she said, her voice quiet.

Jughead blinked, unsure what to say. He set his mug down across from her. “So what?” He asked, ignoring how harsh his tone was. “You suckered some other idiot into getting engaged and you wanted to stop by to tell me to have a nice life?”

Betty's brows furrowed. She looked up at him like he was the crazy one and his heart sank. “Do you seriously think I could ever find anyone better than you?”

He swallowed, looking down at his mug. “I haven't known what to think for the last few months.”

They both sat in silence as his words hung in the air.

Betty had always been his rock, even when they were just kids, long before they'd started dating. When he was hurting, she still made sense- she was the _only_ thing that made sense -but she ran off on him, leaving behind the simple silver band he'd proposed to her with, most of her wardrobe, and his broken heart.

“I really mean it, Jug,” she whispered, resting her hand on the counter, palm up. “I know I keep saying I'm sorry, but it's the only thing I can say. You didn't deserve what I did.”

He glanced down at her palm and then back at her eyes. _God_ , he missed her eyes. He missed all of her, but he couldn't say it. “Betts-”

“It's okay.” She took a sip of her tea, her shoulders relaxing as she drank. She set her mug down. “I know I'm going to be apologizing for the rest of my life, but I have to start somewhere, right?”

He couldn't help the smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “Bold of you to assume I could hold out that long.”

Betty looked up at him, her eyes going a little bit wider. “Jug,” she trailed off, shaking her head. “You couldn't possibly want me, not after what I did.”

He sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “I do.” He glanced up at her, smiling softly at the confusion written across her face. “We both need time, but there's no one else for me.” His hand finally found hers, her skin warm and soft below his. He let out a shaky breath, looking down at the counter.

She squeezed his hand. “I'm sorry I ran away.”

Jughead nodded. “I know you are,” he breathed.

She took his hand in both of hers, holding on like he was a lifeline. “I never stopped loving you.”

He met her gaze, tears burning his eyes when he noticed that she'd been crying silently. His breath caught when she kissed his knuckles. “Betty.”

“I'm sorry.” She sniffed. “I can't believe I was so stupid-”

“You needed to see her.”

Polly left home for San Francisco when Betty and Jughead were in their junior year of high school. Betty tried to visit her at least once a year, but she was always so sad when she got back.

He assumed she would have left him sooner.

But she came back.

“Jug?”

He hummed in acknowledgment, unwilling to open his mouth for fear of what would leave it.

“Can I come home?”

“Yes.” He nodded, rounding the counter. “God, yes.” He quickly pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck as she gripped him tightly. “Betty, you don't have to ask.”

“But I-”

“I really don't care.” He hugged her tighter. “I don't care about what happened, I'm just glad you're back and you're safe.”

She relaxed in his arms. “I love you, Jughead.”

“I love you, too.” He pulled back, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He smiled down at her as he reached up to play with a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. The tips of his fingers brushed along her cheek, over the light freckles spattered there. “You look nice.”

“You say that now, but you missed when Polly had to talk me out of dying my hair.”

He tilted his head to the side, quirking a brow. “What colour?”

She smirked. “Purple.”

He blinked. “That's a wide range, Betts. Are we talking teenage rebellion or something softer?”

She laughed, wrapping one leg around his calves to pull him closer. “I was thinking lavender.”

He hummed, smiling at her as he took another step forward. “I like that.”

She smiled up at him. “Hey, Jug?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to kiss me?”

He smiled, reaching up to cup her cheeks. “You think I'm going to put out that quickly?”

Betty laughed, pulling him into a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi to me on [tumblr](http://literatiruinedme.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
